Trial and Error
by Aliora
Summary: Time is running out, but they're not going to give up just yet. Naruto and Sakura work separately on becoming stronger, until a twist of fate [and a giant slug] force them closer than they've ever been before. Manga spoilers until chapter 310. Narusaku.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **This is an updated and revised version of the original chapter that was posted last year. Hopefully sentence structure is a little more cohesive, but no plot points were harmed in any way. It's probably unnecessary to warn for this now, but the story begins some time after chapter 310 of the manga, so anime watchers may be spoiled. I think if you've seen the first ep of Shipuuden you should be fine, but each to their own.

**Chapter one**

**- **

It was all about the numbers.

Six months. Going by an average calendar, that was twenty-four weeks. Breaking it down further, it gave them one hundred and sixty-eight days. If she wanted to be meticulous (and Sakura was nothing if not thorough), she could even go so far as to say they only had four thousand and thirty-two hours left. Four thousand and thirty-two hours remaining on the clock that steadily ticked down the time remaining until Sasuke was lost to them forever.

She sighed and turned to stare sightlessly out her bedroom window. Things hadn't gone according to plan. Naruto had come back and infected her with his confidence. She'd been full of restless, anticipatory energy going in to their most recent mission - so much so that even decking Sai hadn't provided her with any sort of release. She'd felt certain that this time was _the_ time, that this attempt to get close to their missing team member would be successful, and that he would definitely return.

It should have worked. She'd taken everything into consideration. She was stronger now, could contribute far more than when she'd been a weak and lovesick genin all those years ago. In Sasuke's stead, the insidious Sai had turned out to be more useful (and personable) than he'd originally let on. Yamato, standing in for the oft-injured Kakashi, had proven to be irreplaceable with his quick thinking and unique abilities. (His hut-jutsu had given her the first good night's sleep she'd had on a mission. Ever.) And Naruto...

Apparently Naruto was more powerful than she ever could have imagined. Ever _would _have imagined. He'd always been her dorky teammate, endearing in his own, annoying way. On one level she'd known what lay dormant within him, but because of its dormancy she hadn't truly understood. The force of the Kyuubi, what it did to him, what it did to them all...

Rubbing her arm reflexively, she rested her head against the cool glass. The street below was filled with the afternoon bustle of people going about their business and she let her gaze travel over them, absently scanning for any ninja the might be there. There weren't any likely candidates. All the people walked steadily and calmly. There was no set to any of their shoulders, no sign of the alertness that lent fluidity and grace to their movements. These people were innocent and ignorant and until recently, she'd been just like them. Cleverer, perhaps. Stronger, most likely. But in failing to consider one important thing, she had made a grave error in judgement. She'd failed as a ninja, and she'd failed as a friend.

She'd failed to consider that Sasuke might not want to come back.

It had been careless of her. Careless, arrogant, and downright stupid. He'd left for a reason, after all, and she knew that reason was still there – it had been only weeks ago that she'd watched Kakashi fight Itachi. Of his own will Sasuke had chosen to team up with Orochimaru, and of his own will he'd elected to stay.

That didn't mean there was nothing they could do about it - far from it. It just meant they needed to continue with caution, and they'd definitely have to plan things more thoroughly this time around. She knew what to change in the equation, and Sasuke's opinion wouldn't be overlooked in their second attempt. They'd just...work around him. Or something.

Pushing away from the window, she moved around her room, absently tidying things as she went. In her opinion, they wouldn't be mounting a repeat expedition any time soon. Kakashi was still in hospital and Sai still needed time to cultivate a more desirable personality. Naruto had mentioned getting Yamato to work with him, which left Sakura to either rest on her laurels or improve herself somehow.

It was a pretty simple choice.

She paused mid-movement, coming back to herself and discovering she had plumped her pillow to a feathery pulp. She was strong, certainly, (the poor pillow could attest to that) but she still wasn't strong enough. Physically she was doing okay, but mentally she was a bit of a mess.

_Took you long enough to figure that out._

_Shut up._

Ignoring the little voice in her head as she'd been trying to do for the better part of her adolescence, Sakura moved the mangled pillow aside and flopped onto the bed.

In their latest mission, to the Bridge and beyond, she hadn't done very well at all. If she was honest, she had to admit she'd let the team down _again_. For more than two years now she'd been so wrapped up in the idea of saving Sasuke that she hadn't considered the toll it was taking on others. Seeing Naruto push himself like that had really shaken her; it had truly put the whole thing into perspective. And then seeing Sasuke, Sasuke who had been unmoved by Naruto's pleas, who had spoken about murder in such a casual, uncaring tone...

She'd been frightened. Not for herself - not even when he'd turned those cold, cold eyes on her in that moment before Yamato stepped in - but for Naruto. Naruto, who never backed down. Naruto, who never gave up. Naruto, who was doing this for the sake of a promise and the enduring memory of the first friend he'd ever had. Sasuke had been her idol; he'd been a dream, out of reach, someone whose heart she could never hope to touch. But he'd been Naruto's best friend, and that had been real; their friendship had been tangible and true. That person who'd stood above them on that rocky cliff-face had been real but he wasn't their friend. If he hadn't looked and sounded like Sasuke, if she hadn't _felt_ that he was their lost friend, Sakura would have sworn those Sharingan eyes belonged to a stranger.

She rolled over and lifted her arm, draping it over her expanse of forehead. Nothing had changed, and yet everything had. Their objective was as clear as it had ever been, but their motivation had suffered slightly after their unexpected rendezvous. They were still driven, still obliged to 'rescue' Sasuke and bring him home, but they weren't saving him from Orochimaru.

They were saving him from himself.

And to do that, they needed to improve. Each and every one of them had to be better, stronger, faster. They all needed to bring something more to the team, because having a team, _being_ a team was the one advantage they did have over Sasuke. They could work together to overcome him, and then, Sakura thought, cracking her knuckles with her thumb, then she would teach Sasuke about the punishment given to those who left their friends behind.

But first she needed to work on her own strength. She'd never be a match for Sasuke or Naruto, but that didn't mean she had to be a weak little girl. Filled with a sudden, fierce determination, she swung her legs off the bed and got to her feet. Running a distracted hand through her hair, she exited her room and jogged down the stairs. She gave a solemn nod to the team photograph that took pride of place on the living room mantel and then let herself out, weaving through the crowded streets towards the centre of town and the Hokage tower.

If she wanted to improve herself, she needed to find someone who could help her get stronger. And who better to ask than the strongest kunoichi that Konoha had ever seen?

- - -

"So, let me see if I have this right." Yamato was smiling slightly, but Naruto didn't let himself consider it a sign of victory just yet. The man had far more in common with Kakashi than he'd previously let on, so it was safe to assume he was well-versed in fooling both the enemy _and_ his team. "You," he pointed at Naruto, "want me," he pointed at himself, "to train you," he pointed at Naruto again, "until you are Sasuke's equal in power, speed and strength." He counted the three points off on his fingers.

Naruto nodded. "Yup, you got it!"

The smile was still there but Naruto was disturbed to find it was turning vaguely creepy. He hoped Yamato wasn't about to bust out the scary face. "You may recall, Naruto," the ANBU replied softly, cooing the words with such dangerous calm that Naruto found himself stepping back before he could help it, "that I have a job _aside_ from taking care of you."

"No, I remember," Naruto replied earnestly. "That's why I asked you, since you're ANBU and you have that whole Shodaime thing with the chakra and all!"

"Is that the only qualification?" Sai asked from where he was sitting under a tree, watching the conversation with interest. They were on one of the training grounds on the outskirts of town, a disused one that was overgrown and slightly wild. Naruto had asked Yamato to meet him there, thinking that being in a training area would make him more inclined to train him. Location, or so he had thought, location was _key_.

That, unfortunately, was as far as his planning had gotten. And Yamato didn't seem to appreciate the relevance (or ambience) of his forest surrounds.

"What, Shodaime's blood?" Naruto shot back, only half-listening to his teammate's question. He didn't need interruptions, dammit, he needed Yamato to agree to his request.

"No, I meant the part where you said 'chakra and all!'" Sai smiled serenely over the top of his sketchbook. "Because then I thought that any ninja would suffice and maybe you could ask those little worshippers of yours, since they're on a break from studies."

Naruto assumed Sai meant Konohamaru and the gang, since he'd taken his new teammate to meet them yesterday.

Big mistake.

Sai had been taken aback to discover that Udon was, in fact, _male._ Unfortunately for all involved, Sai had also felt it necessary to voice his surprise, querying the boy as to whether or not he had a penis. Udon hadn't taken Sai's straightforwardness half as well as Naruto had and was now most likely scarred for life. _And he'd always been a bit weird anyway_, Naruto thought sadly, reflecting on the disastrous incident. He'd thought the books had been helping Sai...but apparently he'd been wrong.

"Konohamaru wouldn't be any use," he scoffed, glaring over at Sai for both the suggestion and the memory of Udon's tearful face. "I need to get better than Sasuke, and fast. Normally I'd ask Kakashi but he's still recovering from that last fight and I don't want to impose or anything."

"Oh, I see," Yamato interrupted, bringing a hand to his chin and nodding. "Since Kakashi isn't here, you feel I am his replacement in every way and therefore you have a right to impose upon my time even when I am not filling in as a member of Team Seven?"

Sai moved his arms urgently in a gesture of some sort but Naruto was far too busy agreeing with Yamato to take any notice. _Finally_ some sort of understanding had been reached. "Exactly!" he crowed, pleased the captain had known what he meant. "You knew just what I was trying to say!"

He almost laughed at how easy it had been before a terrible, unearthly cold prickled at his skin, causing the hair on his arms to bristle and stiffen in fear. He looked up and immediately wished he hadn't, because Yamato's face had suffered some trick of the dappled afternoon sunlight and seemed to glow with a spectral aura. Naruto shrank under the intimidating weight of the horrifying expression, and shuddered involuntarily when the captain spoke. "You want me to_ what_?"

Naruto let out a squeak. "U-Um, w-well, that is, I u-um, want to be stronger..."

Yamato seemed to tower over him. "Why?"

He clenched his fist in an effort to regain some confidence. "B-Because, I promised. I promised Sakura-chan that I'd bring Sasuke back, and I promised myself I'd save him from Orochimaru...and what he's become."

Sai lowered his hands from the warning gesture he'd been trying to make and Yamato's face returned slowly from its inhuman cast. "A promise, huh?" he said after a moment. "Well, truth be told, I promised the Hokage I'd act in Kakashi's stead, and if he would have trained you, I guess I can do no less."

Hardly able to believe his luck, Naruto let out a loud whoop and jumped around on the spot. He was glad he hadn't mentioned the fact that Kakashi probably would have refused his request. He was a step closer to coming good on his promise, and he didn't need a stumbling block here. Besides, neglecting to mention something wasn't really a lie. Was it?

- - -

They faced each other across the training grounds, Naruto still finding it difficult to contain his excitement. Yamato had actually agreed to his request! The ANBU was looking him up and down and Sai seemed to find this terribly amusing, since his charcoal flew across the paper while he watched Yamato like a hawk.

Catching Naruto's eye, the dark-haired boy lifted a hand. "I won't interfere, I'm just doing research."

Naruto nodded and secured his forehead protector. "No, that's okay. Every hero needs a history and you can illustrate my rise to strength and glory. When I'm Hokage, we can make all the kids at the academy read _Uzumaki Naruto's Tale of_ -" He was cut off abruptly by something hitting his stomach, knocking him to the ground and effectively winding him.

"Oi!" he wheezed from the dirt, scowling at Yamato's bunshin.

The wood-clone shrugged at him as if to say _you asked for it_, and as Naruto was inclined to agree, he refrained from further comment. He sprung to his feet and then lowered himself into a defensive crouch.

"The first thing we need to work on," said Yamato, walking over to join his double, "is raising your awareness of the things around you. There's no point in having all the power in the world if you can't use at least some of it to ensure you know what's happening in your surrounds."

The clone nodded, taking up the lecture. "Fundamental to that awareness is the speed required to act upon it. You requested this training so that you can bring Sasuke back from Sound. Hopefully you realise by now that he chose to join Orochimaru of his own will, so you'll need to overpower and subdue him in order to return him to Konoha. Do you also know what his return will mean?"

Yeah, he did. He'd thought about it a lot during those two-and-a-bit years away, and he'd thought about it some more after returning to Konoha, seeing all those familiar faces and places again. Standing on the roof of the bakery, catching up with Kakashi, speaking to Sakura and seeing how much they'd all grown and changed... He'd had to realise that even if - no, _when_ - they managed to get Sasuke and drag him back, it would be impossible for him to just slip back into the team. It wouldn't be like it was before - if he had to be a realist (and he _hated_ being a realist) he had to admit things could never go back to how they were then. Sasuke had cast them aside to chase the blood-soaked shadow of his brother, and if they managed to bring him back before he exacted his revenge, it was an absolute given that he'd never forgive them.

Naruto was prepared for that. He'd been prepared for heartbreak from an early age, but he'd strengthened his resolve further one fateful morning, when he'd stuck out his thumb and grinned, promising Sakura he'd bring Sasuke back even if it cost him his life. He'd meant it, and still meant it, although on second thought the whole life thing probably wasn't the greatest of ideas. But that was why he needed this training so badly. Sasuke obviously hadn't been idle. He'd gotten much more _everything_ in the time he'd been away. And while Naruto hadn't slacked off either, he needed to learn a whole new way of fighting where he didn't lean on the Kyuubi as a crutch.

"Yeah," he said grimly, answering Yamato's (bunshin's) question. "I know what it means."

Both Yamatos nodded. "Good," said the original, crossing his arms. "And so, the first thing. What did Sasuke acquire, apart from power, in the time he's spent away?"

"Bad fashion sense," replied Naruto promptly.

"I didn't know him before, but that multi-Chidori attack was not in his file," offered Sai in a thoughtful tone.

The wood-clone shook his head. "Not his clothes or technique. An object. In the time he's been gone, he has gained something. A symbol of power, but not power itself."

Sai dropped his brush. "A pe-"

"The sword." Naruto thought back to the fight and Sasuke's words, before they were both inside his mind. At the memory he felt a tingle from deep within and quashed the stirring of the Kyuubi before it could do anything. "He had a sword."

"Yes," Yamato said. "Another Kusanagi, the twin of Orochimaru's. Because of Sasuke's lightning-based chakra, he can control the sword and channel his power into it so that it acts like a conduit and increases his own strength."

Shit. That didn't sound good. "So, ah, you'll teach me an attack that's more powerful than a lightning sword?" Naruto asked hopefully.

"Nope," Yamato replied cheerfully. "I'm going to teach you the next best thing."

"Which is?"

The bunshin stepped to the side and slid back into Yamato's body, who waited patiently until the process was finished before speaking. "Have you ever heard the saying that a good defense is the best offense?"

Naruto scrunched up his face and tried to pick the phrase apart. "Huh?"

Sai shook his head from his position over against the tree. "He's not going to teach you an attack, Naruto."

"What?!" But he'd said-

Yamato held up his hand and waited for Naruto to sputter to a stop. "I won't be teaching you an attack now. Later, certainly, we'll sort out what to work on. But before we progress any further you need to learn how to deflect a chakra-weapon's attack."

Oh. Naruto's face cleared. That sounded almost promising. "So you'll teach me a special move to block that weird sword?"

Yamato stretched out an arm between them, gesturing with his chin for Naruto to look down. He did and watched with surprise and amazement as a thin sheet of wood appeared, growing over Yamato's bare forearm. The wood darkened and hardened until it completely covered the skin from elbow to wrist. In seconds it was like Yamato was wearing a kote armguard, except that it had apparently formed from thin air.

"Wow," Naruto breathed, moving close to peer at Yamato's arm. "How did you do that? Are you teaching me now? Will I be able to do that soon?"

Sai ripped off the top sheet of his drawing pad and started sketching madly at the fresh page, no doubt trying to capture the moment _in_ the moment. Or something artistic like that.

Yamato withdrew his arm and tapped both forearms together, the chakra kote making a dull thud as they hit. "Soon," he replied obliquely, watching Naruto's reaction with amusement. "But first, show me how dedicated you are by doing twenty laps around Konoha."

Naruto pumped his fist. "You got it, Taicho!" He threw a glance over at Sai, who was still sketching. "Coming, Lazy?"

The other boy didn't glance up. "If that's an affectionate nickname, Naruto-_kun_, I'm sure you can do better."

Undaunted, Naruto jogged on the spot. "So? Are you coming?"

Sighing, Sai put down his paper and got to his feet. "I don't really need the workout, but perhaps the challenge will be useful to my growth."

"Challenge?" Naruto echoed, stretching his arm across his chest.

Sai nodded, coming to join him in the middle of the training ground. "Sure. The part where we race and I beat you." Kicking off, he blurred from the ground and disappeared through the trees.

Naruto gaped, watching him leave.

"Awareness and reaction," Yamato reminded him, yawning and moving over to where Sai had left his things.

Aw, crap. "Just giving him a head start." Naruto grinned and sketched a salute before kicking off and chasing his teammate through the forest. "Oi, Sai! Wait for me!"

- - -

Tsunade eyed the gigantic pile of paper on her desk and wondered how many more sheets it would take before the whole thing toppled right over. It was a neat pile, a sturdy one. Probably the best way to get it to fall would be picking a random sheet right out from the middle. Then Shizune would come in to help her clean up, and she'd chastise her for being so careless, and while the tongue-lashing went on, Tsunade would be able to slip out for a bit of relaxation.

The paper was calling her, urging her to touch it. A corner of one piece was even peeking out, tempting her to give it a tug. Almost before she knew it, her hand was reaching out and she was closing the gap between her fingers and the pile, and she was nearly there, it was almost in her grasp--

_KNOCK KNOCK_.

Only a whisper from the pile and she was thwarted by a knock at the door. Ah well, Shizune was probably wise to the paper-trick, anyway. "Come in," she called, sitting back in the chair and arranging her arms under her bosom. She pasted a frown on her face and hoped it looked like she'd been interrupted. (She had been, of course, just not in the way she probably should have been).

The handle turned and the door opened, and she was surprised to find it was her young apprentice who made her way inside. She hadn't spoken to Sakura since she'd sent them off to intercept the Akatsuki spy. It hadn't been certain that they'd meet up with Sasuke, but it had been probable, and she'd been interested in what the girl's reaction would be. She'd wanted to see if Sakura had managed to outgrow the crush that had brought her here two years ago. The ANBU, Yamato, had given her a brief rundown of everyone's responses , including Sasuke's, but he'd also given her his own insight into what the remaining members of Team Seven felt. The Sakura who'd just walked in to her office was vastly different from the pale-faced girl who'd approached her the first time. She was dry-eyed now as she had been then, but she wasn't trembling at all. There was still determination hardening her face, but it was a hot determination now, fueled by anger rather than pain.

"Tsunade-sama," the girl said respectfully, coming to a stop near the wide desk and bowing her head.

Tsunade leaned forward, intrigued by this unexpected meeting. "Sakura, what brings you here today?" She was playing it politely because any distraction from the Rice country's petty infighting or the Grass country's approaching inflation was music to her ears. The longer she could put off doing the paperwork, the happier she'd be.

Sakura put her hands on the desk in a confident gesture Tsunade couldn't remember ever having seen from her. "I've come to ask for further training," she said clearly, not beating around the bush. It was still a case of déjà vu; they'd been in this position once before. But Tsunade wasn't certain what had prompted this one. It didn't seem quite as obvious as the first time around. She had an idea, certainly, but nothing definite.

She decided to weasel out Sakura's motivation.

"I'm sorry, Sakura," she said, slipping in a note of regret. "As far as chakra-strength goes, I've already taught you everything I know. Any further improvements can only come from you applying yourself to training and repetition."

The girl's face fell and her confidence cracked. Tsunade felt a momentary stab of pity for this younger version of herself. "I just... I just want to help him," she said quietly, not really looking anywhere.

Tsunade frowned. She was still caught up in the Uchiha? She'd been certain Sakura had moved on, from what the ANBU captain had said. Yamato had given her a complete report and since Tsunade had always had a low regard for Sasuke, the rundown had done nothing to improve it. "Sasuke?" she asked sharply.

Sakura raised her head in surprise. "Huh? Well, yes, of course, but I meant Naruto. I promised him we'd do this together, and I can't back down on that because I'm weak."

Aha! Tsunade's irritation took on a hint of interest. This was more like it. "I see. You want to help Naruto."

Sakura nodded, her brow creased with determination again. "I know I've said this before, but I don't want to be weak."

"I don't think anyone's calling you weak," the Hokage replied dryly. The girl could level buildings with a single blow; no one would dare contest her physical strength. By the same token, however, Tsunade knew exactly what she meant. All the force and power in the world couldn't compensate for working with teammates and achieving a common goal. "But very well." She leaned forward and rested her elbows on the desk, supporting her chin with one hand. "There is one more thing I can pass down to you."

Sakura's face lit up. "Really?"

Tsunade nodded. "Yes. I left this until last because I never wanted it to be a crutch for you. I wanted you to learn and control your own strength first. But you're ready now, and something extra will only help you in this," _foolhardy_, she thought, "quest of yours."

Sakura blinked rapidly, waiting, drinking in every word. Tsunade waited a moment, because if there was something she liked, apart from gambling and drinking and tormenting Shizune, it was delivering things with aplomb. And then she said, with a trace of satisfaction, "Yes. The last thing I can pass down to you. The scroll and the skill of the _Kuchiyose no Jutsu_."

------------------------

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_Shouten no Jutsu_: Shapeshifting technique. That thing where they thought they were fighting Itachi but it was actually a Sand nin "wearing" his face  
_Kuchiyose no Jutsu: _Summoning technique. Naruto does it with toads and Tsunade has the slug thing happening.  
_Taicho_: captain.  
_kote_: wristguards. I think. I googled it and that was the closest match I could find.

Thanks to DS as always, and Nushi for helping me out.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter two**

----

"The first thing we have to do," Tsunade instructed, striding across the training ground towards Sakura, "is to get you to sign the scroll as a successor to the _Kuchiyose no Jutsu."_

Sakura nodded attentively. This was all news to her. Naruto had been summoning the toads for years but he'd never actually mentioned what was required to enter into the technique. She was slightly relieved she only had to sign something, as in truth she'd expected things to be far more difficult. Her fantasies had led her to other, more gruesome things...

"Are you ready, Sakura?" Tsunade's voice was muffled behind the obscuring hood of her thick cloak. Mist ghosted through the clearing and the full moon barely filtered through the crowding circle of surrounding trees. As if to top it off, the scene was limned in yellow from the lantern Tsunade held.

"Y-Yes, of course," Sakura stuttered in reply. After a moment, the Hokage set off at a steady clip and Sakura was forced to run to catch up. "Um, Tsunade-sama?" she started, pausing and looking around, pretending very hard that she wasn't intimidated by the creepy surrounds. "Where exactly are we going? And why did we have to meet at midnight?"

Tsunade stopped. "Where are we going?" she echoed, her voice barely a sigh in the still tableau of the forest. She turned and raised the lantern, lifting an arm and bringing a pale hand to her face. With one smooth motion, she pushed her hood back, revealing her flushed face and bright, feverish eyes.

Sakura backed away, suddenly uncertain of Tsunade and her strange, unsettling behaviour.

"Where are we going?" Tsunade repeated, louder this time, licking her lips and widening her eyes. "We're going to dine with the Slug God, Sakura. And then? Then we're going to offer him _your soul!"_ Throwing back her head, she let out a high-pitched cackle, the mad, high-pitched laughter pealing through the clearing until Sakura clapped her hands to her cheeks and let out a terrified, bloodcurdling scream—

"Sakura?"

She blinked and the vestiges of the fantasy – no, _nightmare_ – faded. They were in the clearing, the moonlight washing serenely over them and Tsunade was watching her, concern apparent on her face.

"You went pale," the Hokage told her, brows drawing together as she tilted her head. "Are you feeling okay? I don't want to initiate this if you're not feeling up to it."

Now there was something she didn't get to see every day - nice Tsunade. Smiling back at her teacher, Sakura shook her head. "It's nothing; I'm fine. Just thinking about what's to come, I guess." Squashing the remnants of her imaginings – and suspecting those late-night horror movie marathonswithIno had something to do with it – she kept the smile going and added, "Thank you for worrying about me."

"Ah, yes." Clearing her throat, Tsunade stepped back and glanced around. "Well, I do have a meeting scheduled this evening with the Daimyo of Stick Country. He, er, enjoys negotiating over good sake and under a well-fed moon."

_The truth comes out_. Rolling her eyes (after first making certain that Tsunade wouldn't see) Sakura felt her smile widen. "I'll try not to take up too much of your time," she replied dryly.

"Good." Tsunade picked a spot on the ground and knelt. Without preamble she slapped a hand to the earth with much less force than Sakura was used to seeing from her. No cracks spread out from the unexpected assault; instead she could sense chakra sizzling at the point of impact, directed in on itself rather than forcing out. A small puff of smoke hovered above Tsunade's head for a moment, but it disappeared as quickly as it appeared, and then she was standing with a large scroll held in her arms.

Sakura blinked. It was nearly as big as the one Jiraiya kept strapped to his back at times, and she was surprised to realise she'd never bothered to ask the Sannin (or Naruto, who was a far less perverted choice) what it was for.

_You don't think about a lot of things,_ pointed out the voice in her head.

_Like?_ she countered irritably.

_Other people. _

There was an excellent response to that, Sakura knew, a simply marvellous retort that could silence the voice forever. But she wasn't quite sure what that response was, and, well, she didn't have time for it now anyway. Tsunade was unrolling the scroll and Sakura put all unnecessary thought from her mind before going to stand beside her teacher, ready for whatever was going to happen from this point on. She took her first look at the parchment.

It was a list of names – a _long_ list. And they were all marked in a faded brown ink that looked a lot like—

"Is that...blood?" Sakura asked, slightly unnerved. Naruto had always bitten his thumb before summoning anything, but the observation had apparently wandered through her head without managing to connect. The power that blood added to a jutsu had been something they'd learned back at the Academy – it established a stronger connection to the use of one's chakra. In overlooking this, she'd been a lot more distracted than she'd previously thought.

Tsunade nodded. "Yes. It's required to open the path between our reality and the plane on which the Summons live."

"They live on another plane?" Sakura echoed faintly. She hadn't ever thought about it, but there probably _wasn't_ a slug village anywhere close.

"I'm afraid I didn't really listen when this was handed down to me." Tsunade stretched and picked up a couple of nearby stones, using them to anchor the edges of the scroll. She smoothed out the parchment until a blank space was glaring at Sakura, adding to her already-uncomfortable level of _not-ready-for-this_.

Beside the waiting spot was a scrawled copy of Tsunade's name, and Sakura felt her eyebrows rise at the childish slant to the signature. "When was this passed on to you?" The rolled-up section obscured the rest of the names, but the blood – ink, she told herself, _ink_ – was kind of faded...

Tsunade scowled. "I knew how to summon before that idiot Toad-Sannin knew how to fasten his sandals."

Oh. So it was pretty old, then. Sakura knelt and interlocked her fingers in an effort to stop them from shaking. She didn't mind blood, she really didn't; after all, she dealt with it at the hospital every day. And if it was going to make her stronger, then she was wiling to do anything to achieve her goal. It was just that the idea of tying her blood, her_self_ to an object of power like the scroll vaguely frightened her.

_Are you going to spend your entire life wallowing in regret?_

The voice had a point, but she'd never give it the satisfaction of knowing. Without another word or further ado, she pulled a kunai from her hippack and slid the edge across her right palm. The blade skimmed the flesh and left a stinging path, but in seconds bright blood was welling to the surface and dripping to the ground. She waited a moment before dipping a finger into the blood, dragging a fingertip over the smooth surface of the paper, sketching the five characters as neatly as she could. When she was convinced her name was legible, she pressed the fingers and thumb of her right hand into what remained pooled in her palm, and when they were all coated she pressed them against the parchment too. Drawing back, she took in her name and fingerprints and felt a small thrill of pride at seeing them next to Tsunade's, locked in forever beside the strongest kunoichi that Konoha had ever known.

With a quick application of chakra, her wound was closed and the only sign that anything momentous had just happened was the rusty patch of blood that stained her hand.

"Good." Tsunade removed the rocks and rolled up the scroll. "That's all sorted, at least." She hit the ground and the scroll disappeared again. Remaining in a kneeling position, she indicated for Sakura to watch what she did next.

Sakura, for her part, was all eyes. She was definitely ready to become stronger, and _this _was how she was going to do it. All she had to do was emulate Tsunade and soon she too would have the power of...slugs.

For some reason, it didn't sound very impressive when she put it that way.

"_Kuchiyose no Jutsu!_" cried Tsunade, hitting the ground for the third time. Sakura watched as dark lines spread out from the point of contact, arcing out in symbols and images before bumping the edge of a circle. Smoke puffed into existence. It expanded for a moment before fading as quickly as it appeared, leaving in its wake a slug the size of a terrier.

It goggled at them. "Hello, Tsunade-hime," it squeaked, eyes wobbling between her and Sakura.

Tsunade bowed her head in greeting. "Hello, Kazuyu," she said respectfully. She stuck her hand out at Sakura and beckoned forward, and taking the hint, Sakura stepped forward until she was face to...knee...with the slug. "This is my apprentice, Haruno Sakura. She has entered into the summoning agreement and will now work hard to learn the ways with which to call you."

The slug goggled some more and Sakura hoped it had other expressions. "It has been a long time," it squeaked. "Katsuyu had mentioned nothing of an apprentice and we feared the scroll would never be passed down."

The Hokage scowled. "Of course it would be passed down. I just wanted to wait until she was ready."

"So you are ready now, Sakura-hime?"

She blinked at the suffix. It was the first time _anything_ had addressed her with such respect, and while it was a tad odd coming from a slug of all things, it was still vaguely gratifying. Usually she was just plain old Sakura; only Naruto still persisted with 'Sakura-chan'.

"Sakura?" Tsunade prompted, forcing her to return to the present. The slug's eyes wobbled about on its...head?... and she shook herself before replying.

"Ah, I think so." She nodded at the slug. "Yes, I'm ready to learn."

"Very well. You know my name and appearance now. I will return to my home and you will attempt to call me forth. Good luck, Sakura-hime." The slug lowered its neck region and dropped its waving eyes, and then in a puff of smoke she and Tsunade were alone in the clearing again.

Tsunade let out a deep breath and pushed to her feet, flipping a long ponytail back over her shoulder. "To tell you the truth, Sakura," she said, stretching her arms out in front of her, "I don't really like Kazuyu. A bit too..._formal_, if you know what I mean."

Sakura did. "Well, at least she was polite." A thought occurred to her. "Was Kazuyu a boy or a girl?" What with the wobbling eyes, squeaky voice and no discernible appendages, it had been rather hard to tell.

Grinning, Tsunade cracked her neck. "Ah, the joys of slug genetics. All slugs are hermaphroditic, actually. They can use either sexual organ but remain female once impregnated."

_Oh._ "Well, I guess you learn something new every day," Sakura returned weakly. Dropping to a crouch, she eyed the patch of dirt in front of her, aware of Tsunade's eyes on her back. It was now or never, she supposed. Time to add a new skill to the old arsenal. And hey, if Naruto could do it, surely she could.

Swallowing, she brought a thumb to her mouth and bit lightly on the fleshy pad. When the sharp taste of blood filled her mouth she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"_Kuchiyose no Jutsu!_" she cried, slapping her palm to the ground.

-----

Naruto glared at his forearms.

Currently, he wasn't on good terms with his forearms. Like the rest of him, they were belligerent in the face of authority and were choosing not to cooperate with him on this task. His forearms were ignoring his commands and his chakra wasn't doing what he told it to and he felt irritated and impatient and it was all his forearms' fault.

"How's it going?"

He hadn't felt Yamato's approach but he was getting strangely accustomed to the other man sneaking up on him. Kakashi had done it for years, after all. Maybe he was fated to have teachers capable of surprising him forever. _Now that's a destiny I want to change_, he thought grimly.

"He seems to be having a great deal of trouble," Sai piped in helpfully from his position at the edge of the small clearing. He had books piled to either side of him, sorted into read and unread stacks. Currently he was immersed in _How To Win Friends and Influence Ninjas_, but he seemed to pay more attention to Naruto's progress (or lack thereof) than whatever his self-help texts were telling him.

Naruto scowled. "That's not true!" he protested. "I've been doing it like you showed me, Taicho, but my forearms won't do what I tell them to."

Sai snapped his book shut. "Your forearms?" he echoed incredulously.

_"Mokuton Bunshin no Jutsu!_" Yamato stepped out of himself and had his clone assume a thoughtful expression identical to his own. "Hmm," they said in unison.

Naruto shifted from one foot to the other, distracted from his problem for a moment. "Any reason you only instruct me with clones?"

Both Yamatos shrugged. "Two brains are better than one," the original told him seriously. "But really, Naruto, I think you're trying too hard. You're forcing the technique and if you do that, not only will it not work, but you'll also run the risk of straining yourself and your body. Try to keep in mind the fact that chakra is assembling over and in contact with your skin. Raw, powerful chakra can and does burn."

Swallowing, Naruto nodded. He hadn't concerned himself at all with the safety aspect. His concentration had been entirely focused on forming his chakra into solid panels of defense. As usual, he had ignored the big picture. _I really need to work on that, huh._

Pasting a grin on his face, he assumed an air of spirited nonchalance. "Ah well, that means I just have to get it right the first time."

"You have to actually get it," Sai drawled, flipping a page.

_Big picture_, Naruto reminded himself fiercely, pouring all his willpower into not reacting to his teammate's words. "Don't you worry about that," he said, drawing up to his full height and planting his hands on his hips. "I'm gonna nail this technique; I have to. For Sasuke, to show that determination can beat whatever crazy stuff Orochimaru has taught him, and for Sakura-chan, so we can set off together and bring Sasuke back."

Yamato tilted his head at the proclamation and his bunshin nodded thoughtfully, scratching at his chin. "And for yourself?" he asked, fixing him with an unreadable look. "Tell me again why you're doing this."

Naruto grinned, a feral baring of teeth that stretched his lips taut. "I'm righting a wrong, Yamato-taicho. I'm making us whole again."

Silence filled the clearing for a moment. Naruto waited with baited breath, hoping that Yamato (who had never been _flighty_ but was somewhat unpredictable) wouldn't retract his offer of training.

After an age, the original gave an almost-imperceptible nod and Naruto allowed himself to relax. For the moment he could continue the training, but it was obvious even to him that he had to start getting some results, and soon.

Taking a deep breath, he eased back into his concentrating stance. He locked his hips and knees before bringing his arms up, stretching out his forearms and keeping his elbows close to his chest. Closing his eyes, he centred himself, willing stray thoughts and muscle aches to disappear. He emptied his mind until all that was left was the background hum of his chakra and the image drawn on the backs of both eyelids - an image of himself successful with a chakra _kote _on each arm.

Distantly he heard the rustle of paper as Sai exchanged his book for a sketchpad, and then the quiet skitch of an inkpot being opened. The noises faded gradually as Naruto slowed his breath, the steady thump of his heartbeat receding as he inched closer and closer to total calm. And then--

"I'm only saying this as a friend, Naruto-kun, but I have to let you know this before you start showing off to other people. The way you're standing, all stiff, with your face screwed up like that?"

Naruto exhaled, a slow, controlled release of breath, and inclined his head slightly in Sai's direction. The calm was coming, gradually filling him with relaxation and a sense of purpose. Finally he could see why his teachers had always tried to make him meditate - this was really working! It felt like he'd be able to do anything, just as soon as he reached his centre and attained the meditative state.

"Well," Sai continued brightly, "it looks like you're about to excrete something awkwardly shaped and very hard."

There was silence once more in the clearing as the previously zen parts of Naruto's brain struggled to recollect what the word _excrete_ meant.

And then he remembered. Eyes snapping open, he lunged for Sai, but the other boy had apparently anticipated Naruto's reaction and was already up and moving. Naruto stepped into a higher gear, irritation giving him wings and boosting his usually impressive speed into something faster and more focused.

"Sai, you piece of shit!" Naruto bellowed, more angry at himself for getting distracted than what Sai had actually said. "I'm going to make you pay for my loss of calm!"

Sai's laughter floated back to him, loud to Naruto's suddenly sensitive ears. "Funny you should say that, Naruto-kun," he called out. "From your stance, I rather thought you'd be making something else pay."

Oh, that was _it_. "_Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!_" Naruto cried, the annoyance on his face mirrored by the clones as they puffed into existence. "Let's get him!"

"All right!" the kage bunshin cheered in unison. They set off in different directions, and Naruto jumped up with them, keeping to his course.

This was seriously going to waste some time, but he knew he'd feel better after pounding Sai. It was just a shame - training had been going so well.

--------

Training wasn't going so well.

No, Sakura correctly herself sourly, that was a _weak_ statement. To say that it wasn't going so well was to imply - at least indirectly - that it was, in part, going _okay_. In fact, to use the word _training _was incorrect as well, because _training_ implied a present, helpful mentor, as well as the assumption that the student - through repetition, application of knowledge and rigorous physical drills - was somehow improving.

Which Sakura was not.

Tsunade's patience had lasted all of a day. They hadn't done anything further that night in the moonlit forest - there had been an air of ritual to what had passed between them and Tsunade had sent her home after the first failed attempt.

"It's okay," she'd said, when Sakura had done the hand-slapping thing to no effect. "I didn't expect you to master it immediately. At least you know the motions from watching that obnoxious teammate of yours." She'd said that with an almost-indulgent smile and Sakura pondered tiredly what it was about Naruto that made everyone who knew him care for him so much. He was like an overgrown puppy, in some respects, and suddenly she wanted a pet of her own

"But you'll need to practice," Tsunade had added, and Sakura felt her spirits plummet at the reminder that she _was_ about to get an animal. It just wasn't cuddly or cute or in any way something that she ever would have picked. In fact, slugs were pretty much just gross, she thought queasily, remembering the way the way Kazuyu's sticky, googly eyes had wobbled on their eye-stalks.

_Fun_.

They arranged to meet the next day (well, the _same_ day, Sakura amended, glancing at the moon), after a good night's rest on her part and a good night's drinking on Tsunade's. The alcohol, unfortunately, did nothing to take the edge off her sensei's temper, as the appointed time came and went and Sakura still hadn't made any progress.

"You don't like them, do you?" Tsunade was either scarily perceptive, or Sakura's lip had curled one too many times and she'd given away her revulsion. Looking down at the ground, she let her hair fall forward to obscure her face, surreptitiously taking the opportunity to check the position of her lip. Yup, curled. She had to work on hiding her emotions with a bit more skill.

After a moment of silence it dawned on her that Tsunade was probably waiting for an answer, despite how rhetorical the question had appeared. She sat back up again and gave a broad, vapid smile. "That's not it at all, Tsunade-sama!" she lied brightly. "Slugs are _beautiful_ creatures, in their own...slimy...way! Um, and they're so...damp!" Wincing, Sakura suspected that Tsunade didn't believe a word of that.

"I don't believe a word of that," Tsunade snapped, tapping one sandalled foot in an impatient tic. "And I'm well aware that slugs are not as aesthetically pleasing, as, say, dogs."

Sakura could have slapped herself. _Dogs_. Why on earth had she agreed to Tsunade's _Kuchiyose no Jutsu_ when she could have sought out Kakashi and had _him_ teach her instead? She could have spent her days cavorting with puppies, flying across the training grounds with a pack of dogs at her heels, racing off into battle with her loyal hounds at her side. She was a complete and utter idiot because she'd known from the start what form Tsunade's summons took. _All because I didn't consider the big picture_, she chatised herself moodily.

_Yes, you _are_ an idiot_, the smug voice in her head replied.

Sakura was still kicking herself. The images of triumphant battle scrolling through her mind had been replaced by enemies voluntarily surrendering because her summons looked so useless and gross. Slugs, slugs, disgusting slugs.

_Not to mention boring and slow,_ snapped the voice.

_Shut up_, Sakura replied tiredly. _Come back and bother me when I have more time_.

_I'll hold you to that, _promised the voice, leaving her alone in her mind. Sakura ended the dialogue with herself to find Tsunade's face very close to her own, a steely glint in the older woman's brown eyes.

"Did you hear a word I said?" Tsunade asked, very carefully, and Sakura felt a trickle of ice-cold fear slither its way down her back.

She froze. There was probably no good answer to that question, since, 'Why yes, Tsunade-sama, I was listening the whole time' wouldn't hold up to further scrutiny and 'Not really, no' might not be _quite_ suicidal, but would guarantee she'd be in for a whole world of pain. Tsunade had never been the most patient of instructors, and frequently through Sakura's medical training the older woman had stomped off in a fit of frustration. They always patched things up at some point, but days could pass before Tsunade had time to spare from her Hokage duties. And while the instances had grown infrequent over the years, Sakura had gotten to the point where she could sense a walk-off about to occur.

Like now.

Tsunade let out a huff of breath and tossed a ponytail back over her shoulder. She glanced over at the village, the Hokage tower visible over the line of trees. "The _Kuchiyose no Jutsu_ reacts differently to each signatory," she said quietly, so that Sakura had to strain to hear over the pounding in her ears. "Unfortunately, since I cannot force you to master it-" (Sakura drooped in relief) "- all I can do is set you on the path and wait for your skills to do the rest." She looked back and Sakura swallowed, acutely aware of the trust Tsunade was showing her by allowing her to sign her family's scroll. _What have I been doing?_ Sakura thought regretfully. _Here I am, disappointed in my animal's _looks_ when I should be thrilled at the privilege of learning to summon at all!_

She nodded. "Thank you, Tsunade-sama. I'll practice alone and keep you updated on my progress." Wondering how to reassure her master, she fished around for an idea and latched on to the first one she could - doing whatever Naruto would do in a situation like this. "I'll definitely learn how to summon!" she declared, sounding a great deal more confident than she felt. Deciding to eschew the thumbs-up, she beamed and raised her eyebrows, a combination she'd practiced in front of the mirror as it seemed to minimise her forehead somewhat.

Tsunade raised her own eyebrows at the display before nodding. "Do your best." Turning on her heel, she set off for the village, walking instead of using a jutsu to show Sakura...well, Sakura wasn't quite sure what, but she felt reassured, nonetheless. Waiting until her teacher had gone out of sight, she turned to the patch of ground she'd been repeatedly spanking and wearily dropped to her haunches again.

_"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"_

_---------------------------_

Whoever designed the _Kuchiyose no Jutsu_, Sakura thought muzzily as she lay face down on her bedroom floor, deserved to be resurrected, tortured until death, and then resurrected again for a repeat procedure. She'd been practicing for three days and not a single slug, or piece of slug, or _whiff_ of slug had appeared. All she'd managed to do was sacrifice several litres of blood, graze the skin of her palm until it was scraped absolutely raw and somehow acquire the worst headache in the history of the world. A team of midget stonemasons were hammering against the walls of her skull and it was near impossible to concentrate, let alone attain the state of mind required to successfully call the summons. Even with all her book learning, even with all her chakra-training, Sakura was forced to face the terrible, inconceivable truth.

In this, Naruto was smarter than her.

Man, it _stung_. They were teammates, of course, and beyond that, friends. They were close, they were like family, but for all his spirit, kindness and enthusiasm, Sakura had always thought that he was a bit dim. He was clever in his own way, but she was clever in the normal way. Frankly, it galled her to admit that the technique apparently preferred his brand of intelligence over hers.

_Why?_ she thought plaintively, rolling over and bringing her hand up to her face. Investigating the palm - she performed slight chakra healings each night to take the worst edge off the pain - she looked for signs of abnormality, but found none. Her palm appeared perfectly normal, so the tool wasn't the problem. The problem was the kunoichi who wielded it.

She was doing something wrong. She had to be. The process made perfect sense in her head, and she was certain she was applying the precise amount of chakra required each time. Each time the blood needed was given, and each time she came up with absolutely nothing.

Sakura was so frustrated she wanted to cry. All her grand ambitions of rescuing Sasuke were shrivelling up into nothing, and her vow to improve herself until she could stand beside Naruto as an equal was appearing more unlikely with each failed attempt. She couldn't even swallow her pride and ask him for pointers as he'd sequestered himself away for training with Sai and Yamato, and since one of them was doing well it didn't seem right to interrupt. Tsunade had done as much as she could, so once again, Sakura was alone.

_Never alone,_ came the spooky murmur of the voice in her head. Ignoring the disturbing interruption, she let her hands fall to the ground again and looked up. Above her head, the ceiling stretched out, a clear, unblemished expanse of white that (dust notwithstanding) suddenly seemed as pure as untouched snow. _White_, she thought, letting her eyes unfocus, the edges of the room blurring until all she could see was white. _Empty_, she thought, and let her mind empty also, pushing out the fear and frustration and anger until there was nothing left.

Stretching a hand up, she reached for the faraway ceiling. She was gradually feeling distant from her body, strangely calm and contented, a complete reversal of her emotions from only minutes before.

_If only you could do this all the time_, said the voice thoughtfully.

Sakura's eyes snapped open._ Shut up!_ she rallied furiously. _All you ever do is badger me and demean me! And I'm arguing with... is this even my subconscious? _

It couldn't, of course, but she almost thought the voice shrugged. _You tell me,_ it rejoined. _We're in _your_ head._

"Argh!" Sakura sat up. She felt like punching something, hitting something, _doing_ something to make this stupid feeling of uselessness go away. It was just like three years ago; she was getting left behind _again_. Even though she'd done her best to fix it, to work on it, nothing she did made the slightest bit of difference. Sasuke was still gone and Naruto's level was still out of reach. She couldn't even summon a slug larvae or egg or whatever the hell a slug came into the world as.

The mechanics of the summoning was easy enough, the words weren't difficult and chakra control had always been her strongest skill, but it _just wasn't enough_.

"Dammit!" Giving in to her childish impulse, she got to her knees and slapped the floor so hard the house shook (luckily her mother was out shopping and her father was on a business trip), grazing her already tender palm. The sting barely registered; she was so angry at her own uselessness. "I can't do anything!" she shouted at her room, feeling desperation building behind the surface fury - how was she to protect her team if she couldn't do this? "I can't help my friends, can't live up to expectations, and I can't even do the _Kuchiyose no Jutsu_--"

Her palms tingled. Something _clicked_ deep inside. Black lines spread across the floorboards, pictures and symbols bumping the edges of a circle. Sakura felt the jutsu lock and had just enough time to feel very, very scared. "Oh, shi--"

And then _something _puffed into existence and the world came tumbling down.

---------------------------------

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------------

Thanks so much to everyone who has waited patiently for this chapter. I've had a lot going on and this story was, frankly, the least of my concerns. I glanced over the draft of this chapter a few days ago and remembered how much I'd enjoyed writing it, so I'm hoping that I'll be able to stick to a regular posting schedule this time. I've applied some edits to the first chapter as well, so feel free to have a look at that one if you need a refresher at all.

Thanks for reading, and a big thank you to Molly, Char and DS, who all help me so much with appreciating and betaing my work.


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